Tales of the Union : Carry a big stick... - Ch 1-
Carry a Big Stick... © 2014 Vanessa Ravencroft Note: This stand alone story takes place in the Galactic Chronicles Universe. It is part of the story collection Tales of the Union and takes place in 5052 (OTT). It was written in response to Soronel Haetir's wish to include a battleship named USS Proximate Cause and is meant as a thank you to him. Preface The Nul are Union members, the Shiss empire no longer exists. The Golden have revealed the Ancient Gate network. During their last mission Captain Olafson and the crew of the Tigershark activated all gates. Over 500 gates in the M-0 galaxy alone. It appears these gates connect not only all galaxies of the Local Group , but to many galaxies of the local cluster. In 5048, the current Grand Wizard of the Kermac Tzwevirnin and group of about 5,000 Kermac defect to the Union and ask the Assembly for political asylum. His claims that the Ministry of Control objected to his decision to abandon all attempts to gain control over the galaxy and destroy the Union. (and everyone else who does not submit to Kermac supremacy) During the historic event he also revealed to the Assembly a long list of Kermac projects to accomplish this. Causing the subsequent Kermac infiltrator purge. Over 240,000 surgically altered Kermac, almost five million Union Citizens under Psi Control along with brain transplant agents and a host of knowing and unknowingly collaborators were found. He explained his extraordinary decision was triggered by the fall of the Shiss empire and his fear that any aggravation caused by actions of the Kermac would doom his civilization. The sudden and violent end of the Shiss caused him to order the immediate cessation of all clandestine efforts and projects against the Union and instead concentrate on revitalize the stagnant Kermac civilization, by easing the initiative and idea crushing influence of the Ministry of Control and the all powerful Thought Police to foster a new era of Kermac science and technology advancements. His orders so he found out were only superficially followed, projects shifted and re branded while the MOC prepared their move. He was certain he had the military on his side and the millenia of Kermac obedience to the will of the Grand Wizard. His attempts to reform the many thousand years of Kermac policy seemed to be welcomed by the Kermac in general, but thousands of years of paranoia and fear to think new thoughts was hard to overcome. The Grand Wizard and five thousand Kermac just barely escaped the violent and brutal coup d'état of the MOC and the Thought Police. The wizard controlling the MOC declared himself Supreme Wizard of Kermac, killed the other wizards and disbanded all ministries and made them departments of the MOC. The Narth Supreme verified that he was speaking the truth and that it was not another elaborate Kermac scheme. The former wizards shocked the Assembly even more as he revealed the latest plan to destabilize the Union. A number of common as dirt Meteor freighters had been purchased, filled with Anti Matter bombs. Crewed with Psi controlled real Union citizens .Their purpose was to approach several Nul key worlds and destroy them. Banking on their history of betrayals by allies they trusted, they expected the Nul to retaliate. The many Nul already dispersed throughout the Union causing much havoc and problems. The Kermac planned to convince the Nul now hunted by the Union to find safety on GC side and hoping some would bring Union tech, especially of course Translocators. An immediate investigation confirmed that the Kermac plan was already in its final stages. Only the fact that the Kermac lacked instant communication. The news that their former Grand Wizard defected to the Union had not reached their field agents. (Kermacs haven't used long range Telepaths for decades in matters of clandestine operations, ever since the Narth became an active member of the Union.) The Nul, the Blue and the X101 were the first to call for war. The Assembly declared war against the Kermac the same day, but fell short of declaring Total War as Stahl requested. The main reason for it was the centuries of being victorious in every war and conflict. The Union just defeated the Shiss. Once considered a serious opponent in less than five years and without any substantial casualties. The Union was so used to win, they became overconfident. Who could stand against them, with the Nul and of course the Narth on their side. What chances did anyone have against a fleet that now included a whole fleet of Lyrec class battleships. Every one as big and powerful as the legendary Devastator. Not to mention the new darling of the Union, the USS Dominator, a Karmat battleship big enough to carry an entire battle group and under the command of a handsome Dai, endorsed by Stahl himself. No, there was no need to go all out. Defeating the GC was a foregone conclusion. Chapter 1 Captain Rufus Terbh was a Botnaar. Despite the reputation his kind had to be loud, boastful and always thirsty for beer; he was considered an officer of exceptional manners. He loved reading and could quote a thousand authors. He wore dress uniform on the bridge every day and was quite likely the only Botnaar who preferred tea instead of beer or liquor. At exactly 1600 hours tea was served aboard the USS Yoko, a Pounder class battleship. The USS Yoko had the unique distinction to have Stahl and McElligott aboard during an inspection and had both the immortals stare with open mouths as they stepped onto the bridge. It was most certainly the only Union battleship where the main viewer was framed by curtains. Consoles were enclosed in polished wood and the famous mustard yellow carpet, covered with expensive rugs. Union Fleet specifically granted Captains the right to modify and alter decoration and decor of space ship interiors as long as it did not interfere with ship board operation, create hazards or considered offensive. Only about five percent of all captains decorated or altered the decor Most did not even know they could. Some captains encouraged crews to affect small chances. It was not taught in Command school or advertised,but Fleet regulation 7745-R/D specifically permitted it and outlined in great detail what was and what was not acceptable. Perhaps the most famous case of decorating and changing the purpose of ship board facilities was the changes Captain Erica Olafson affected and permitted aboard the USS Tigershark. (completely ignoring regulation 7745-R/D) by designating one of the hangars as pirate den, complete with fire place, chandeliers and similar decor That the Tigershark also had a treasure room filled with valuables exceeding 5 billion credits in value was wide spread whispered rumor all across the Union fleet. The crew of the USS Yoko however was fiercely proud of their ship and their captain. Called him the Gentleman Captain behind his back and the Yoko declared the most elegant battleship in the fleet. The USS Yoko and four battleships of the 45th fleet were on a 6 month patrol along the Spinward border to GC space. Spinward was for the most part still unexplored. Even though it was home to a dozen Union members, chief among them the Saresii. But most of it was concentrated just galactic west of the Upward sector and towards the outer regions of the M-0 galaxy. The 45th was based in the Camogi system and home of the perhaps most unusual an alien of all Union member species. Home on a neutron star, forming Camogi clusters of billions of miniscule individuals, with life spans of a few seconds, but due to the so called Camogi conveyor constantly renewing generations their collective memory and thought process these clusters existed for millions of years. Orbiting Camogi Star was a large Pulsar planet known as Camogi Connect. It was home to the vast systems required to maintain contact with the Camogi, one of the largest Science corps research facilities and the home base of the 45th. Camogi Star was about as far down as you could be in the Spinward sector, because if you travelled only about 20 parsecs more, and you would have reached the mostly unexplored Downward Sector. It took a space ship almost two years to travel from Pluribus to Camogi Star and almost 4 years if you took the trip by Space Bus alone. Of course by now you could take the Space Train till Boloth Home and the last leg to Camogi by bus or liner and arrive in in six days. About six hundred star systems and sixty five Union members were spread across this sector. But almost none were close enough to each other to form a continuous region of Union space. Galactic Council space was not defined by treaties or really established by anything. Z Point station and the long running project Providence created a map of hyper jump pulse and psionic activity. Each detected activity marked a dot on this map and over the decades a rough outline emerged suggesting the extend of Galactic Council space on this side of the galaxy. The only confirmed and identified GC civilization on this side were the Roxomani. Believed to be related to the Freons and ecause of that a somewhat understandable hatred towards all things Union. During first contact with them, about three hundred years ago, they declared to be GC members and warned Union ships to enter their space. At that time the Armistice was in effect and the Union heeded the request. The last Union / GC war never reached the Spinward sector and whoever was GC on this side kept quiet. Since then about a dozen encounters were recorded across Spinward, but the Roxomani retreated as soon as they came within scanner range. Captain Terbh checked the beautiful analog brass ship chronometer, set into the wooden paneling between the forward duty stations. This chronometer was the ships most prized features. It was gifted to the ship by Admiral Stahl after the Yoko set the Union fleet wide battle stations record for battle ships to two minutes and twelve seconds. It was only two minutes to 1600 hrs. As it was his habit he turned to see if his XO was already at his post. The immaculate dressed Attikan Commander had his gloved hand already on the string to ring for First Dog watch. The Chief steward and several enlisted were already there carrying trays with fine china to serve tea. The Attikan Commander did not have a chance to ring the bell. Tactical detected a fleet of thirty contacts appearing at scanner horizon. Their intentions were instantly revealed as they launched missiles the very next moment. The ship AI raised Battle stations automatically. Commander Ictav secured the bells string and rushed to his seat. The shields went up and tactical engaged the many hundred projectiles with point defense weapons. More than twenty of the projectiles hit the shields and obliterated them down to the first layer! The impact threw the stewards of their feet, fine porcelain and tea flying in all directions. The Takkian manning the OPS position reported. “Weapon analysis confirms the projectiles are equal to Loki torpedoes. All stations reported All Red, in all this Captain noticed that the crew set a new record with two minutes and ten seconds. Of the 16,000 Pounder class battle ships only the Yoko and eleven others had the traditional bridge lay out instead of the new bubble bridge. But the Battle view sphere projected around his seat was just as good. The four other battle ships had been hit as well. So far no real damage reports. The computronic slaved the others to Squadron tactic, designated him as the group commandant. The other captains verified it. Another volley of missiles was detected. Captain Terbh gave fire permission to all batteries and ordered star the ships to spread out. The first trans locator barrage hit. Two hundred Giga loads exploded yet only ten of the enemy ships were seriously damaged or destroyed. Tactical reported. “Targets shielded with Para Dim, TL's can not bypass. Direct hits however weakened their shields.” Again a number of enemy missiles made it past point defense. The Pounder class was a brute and brimmed with weapons, but due to the excellent shields point defense was only added as an after thought, neither enough nor well designed. The Yoko shuddered , the forward shields down to twenty percent. The USS Bronta had lost one of her Isah pods, and trailed a cloud of debris. None of the other ships was damaged but the USS Gorgon had no shields left. The Union battle ships launched their fighters and released Loki torpedoes while the Translocator batteries kept firing. The enemy kept their distance beyond the range of the FTL batteries. Their ships appeared almost as manouverable as the Pounder class. Whoever directed those ships knew the business. Keeping their long cylindrical ships pointed with the small crossection towards the Union ships as possible, pulling ships with weakened shields behind those who were still under full shields. Long enough to reset them. It almost appeared the alien commander had studied tactics at Command school. Kilo load bombs were plenty to destroy the biggest opponent if exploding inside their shields. Kilo loads however had to hit the shields directly to weaken or destroy them. Even missing them by a meter was not enough to seriously weaken them, because the enemy was moving fast and spread the released energies along the shield instead of pin pointing it, and the fact that the powerful shock waves did not propagate in space. Only a percentage of the weapons destructive power reached the shields. A direct hit was still devastating, but the Unions mightiest weapon was not as effective as it had been. Bigger TL loads could engulf the enemy target, but the Madrid class did not have bigger ones. The Loki torpedoes proved much more effective, and obliterated the shields. But it needed at least eight hits and unlike the Union ships they did not neglect point defense, as it appeared they relied on their missiles as main armament and thus placed greater significance to defend against similar weapons. The Bronta was destroyed before she could evacuate. The Gorgon was no longer able to maneuver. The Pinta and the Rasmussen reported casualties and hull damage. His own Yoko was seriously damaged, but of the thirty enemy vessels only seven remained. The Wolfcrafts had to use their Loki torpedoes, their TL Gatlings were to weak to serious damage their shields. Many Wolfcrafts fell victim to their excellent point defense weapons. But the worst seemed over, the seven remaining enemy vessels were as damaged as their own. He cramped his hand hard over the intui control as his battle view showed another wave of at least fifty of these cylindrical ships coming past the scanner horizon. That they were GC was no longer in any doubt. The unknowns were accompanied by a fleet of Kermac Habyr and Yiee battle ships. “How long till our fleet arrives?” “Sir I was just informed that the 45th had been recalled by Fleet Command. Due to the unknown strength and size of the threat. They have been ordered to remain at Camogi Star to defend it. Admiral Stahl sends his deepest regrets but he had to put the safety of a member species over that of our survival. He recommends to evacuate all possible personnel and initiate self destruct.” He swallowed. “Evacuate all ships. Volunteers may stay behind to give the escape pods time to reach Quasi. The only thing that arrived at Camogi Star were the five Logbook drones and the verification that all five ships had been lost with all hands. Category:Waste Basket